An investigation into the Critical Success Factors (CSF's) in implementing enterprise information systems in Kenya: a case study of chevron Kenya and Kenya pipeline company limited.
Abstract
A lot of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems implementations fail, because organizations
which bought the systems thought that buying them was all they require to do. Failure cases of ERP
implementation show that organizations have to do extensive work on implementation. Because of
this, organizations have to create conditions in which they can implement chosen systems in
expected time, scope and evaluated costs. This means that organizations should be aware of what
most critical factors for success (CSFs) in ERP system implementation are. The high failure rate of
ERP implementation calls for a better understanding of critical success factors (CSFs)
"What are the main factors that influence the successful implementation of new enterprise
information systems?" was the main research question that guided this research project. This
research used a case study approach where two case studies were conducted with an aim of
comparing a successful ERP implementation with a problematic one. Data was collected by
conducting interviews at various levels of the subject organizations. Archived records where
available were also examined. The study found that: top management support, company-wide
support, organizational culture/diversity, effective project management, organizational fit of the
enterprise system and users' training and involvement are critical to a successful enterprise system
implementation. Also critical is the level and quality of external support which contribute to
successful implementation.
From the research findings, it is recommended that organizations seeking to implement enterprise
systems should pay special attentions to the factors mentioned above. Of particular mention is that
organizations should realize that enterprise system implementation is a collective responsibility that
calls for aligning the whole organization to the new system requirements with added help from a
carefully selected vendor and project consultants
Citation
Masters of Arts Degree in Project Planning and ManagementPublisher
University of Nairobi Department of Arts in Project Planning and Management
Description
A Research Project Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment for the
Requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts in Project Planning and
Management of the University of Nairobi